Michezo magazetini leo...

[Rutashubanyuma]

Wilshere shows why he's England's future

PRINT RSS

0 comments »

Updated Feb 16, 2011 7:32 PM ET
LONDON (AP)

Arsenal and England say they are ready to build their teams around Jack Wilshere, and the gifted teenage midfielder showed just why with a stunning individual display against Barcelona.
Up against the formidable midfield trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets - the heartbeat of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning side - Wilshere demonstrated he has the character to match his undoubted talent by leading Arsenal's fightback in its 2-1 victory in the first leg of the Champions League last-16.
''He was outstanding,'' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. ''He wasn't fazed by the occasion. In difficult periods when we were under pressure, he wanted the ball and kept the ball. He played really well.''
Wilshere is enjoying a sensational breakthrough season at the north London club, marking it with his first start for England in last Wednesday's 2-1 win over Denmark in Copenhagen.
Playing firstly as a holding midfielder before moving further upfield in the second half at the Parken Stadium, he took to international football with consummate ease. He had no problem transferring that form to the Emirates Stadium a week on.
''It's been a great couple of weeks - the best of my life,'' Wilshere said after his coming-of-age display against the Spanish champions.
Wilshere is a rarity in English football in that he is a midfielder who looks comfortable on the ball, whenever it is given to him. The recent failure of England's national team can be seen as stemming from its inability to keep possession against the major sides in big tournaments, but that could change with Wilshere as the commander in the engine room.
He is even outshining Cesc Fabregas, for so long Arsenal's totem in midfield, at the moment. Should Fabregas end up moving to Barcelona this summer, as many are predicting, Gunners fans may no longer mourn his departure with the likes of Wilshere and emerging France playmaker Samir Nasri ready to replace him.
Wilshere, who spent half of last season on loan at Premier League team Bolton in a bid to pick up some valuable topflight experience, was part of an Arsenal midfield that was blown away against Barcelona.
''There was a spell in the first half where for about 20 minutes we didn't touch the ball. But we knew they were going to do that,'' he said.
With Alex Song picking up an early booking - for a foul on Lionel Messi - that limited his effectiveness as Arsenal's ball-winning anchorman, that onus fell on Wilshere. But the 19-year-old prodigy did so much more.
Often seen running rings around Xavi, the world's leading midfielder over the past few years, Wilshere almost single-handedly brought Arsenal back from the dead. Of the many counterattacks he instigated in the second half, the last one, in the 83rd minute, resulted in Andrey Arshavin's winner.
''I watched these (Barcelona) players in the World Cup and they were the best team there, so I knew a bit about them before the game. But once you get into a game, you get used to them,'' Wilshere said.
''We had to go up a level in the second half and we passed it around better. We had to carry on playing the Arsenal way and we did that.''
The second leg in the Camp Nou on March 8 will be another special experience for Wilshere, whose ability at such an age was compared by England manager Fabio Capello last week to that of football greats Raul, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini.
''We have got something to hold onto,'' Wilshere said. ''Last year, it was 2-2 (after the first leg of Arsenal's quarterfinal against Barcelona). This year it's 2-1 and we have a chance. If we get a goal over there, we will see what happens.''

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Gunners duo savour special win


Rivals
TEAMtalk Media Group


PRINT RSS



Updated Feb 16, 2011 7:16 PM ET
16/02/2011 22:04 +0100

The Gunners came back from David Villa's first-half goal to seal a 2-1 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie thanks to late strikes from Van Persie and Andrey Arshavin. Asked what the Gunners' game-plan was, Van Persie told ITV1: "Just to play our own game. "In my opinion, and in our opinion, if you drop back too much they are so good they will in the end beat you by far. "We had to beat them in their own style. "We got a bit lucky but it was a fantastic win." Fabregas was not reading too much into Arsenal's win, though. He said: "They don't lose many games. They are the best side in football's history in my opinion. "This is 180 minutes. It's a nice victory. It will give confidence to the team but that's all." Asked what the difference was between this year and last, when they were outplayed by Barca, he said: "First of all we don't have five or six injured players. "Second, we are all one year older. We are mature enough to play big games. "We showed it here but if we don't show it (in the second leg in Barcelona) it's nothing." Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was on edge watching from the sidelines when Barcelona were dominating the game. "We suffered for some periods in the game but we never gave up and stayed mentally strong," Wenger said on ITV1. "The team wanted to go as long as they could. "You're always on the border of collapsing against them, if you give just a bit mentally you will be punished." Wenger enjoyed the occasion and felt it would do his team good going forward. "It was one of the special nights because I feel we needed to be a special team," he said. "It's open. We will go (to the Nou Camp) and play our game again because you cannot just defend against this team. Our confidence will grow. We'll give our best again." Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola felt his team were in control for large periods. "It was a fantastic game (with) many, many chances for both teams," Guardiola said. "We created more chances than last year. "It's a pity, but we knew they're a very, very good team. On the counter-attack they're dangerous. "But we have the second league." He added: "They are a tough, tough team, but we dominated and more or less took control of the game. "It was more or less the same as last season."

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Arsenal rallies to beat Barcelona 2-1 in first leg

PRINT RSS



Updated Feb 16, 2011 6:24 PM ET
LONDON (AP)

Andrey Arshavin completed a second-half Arsenal comeback to stun Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday despite the home side being outplayed for most of the first leg of their last-16 meeting.
David Villa had put Barcelona ahead in the 26th minute by slipping the ball under Wojciech Szczesny after latching on to Lionel Messi's flick-on.
Despite the Spanish champions being in control, the game turned in a five-minute spell shortly after Villa had been taken off.
Victor Valdes gifted Arsenal a way back into the match by allowing Robin van Persie to level with a shot that crept inside the near post from a tight angle in the 78th, with the motionless goalkeeper seemingly expecting a cross.
Five minutes later, Samir Nasri broke forward after being released by Cesc Fabregas and the France international squared to Arshavin to slot in the winner.
''If you drop back too much they are so good they will beat you,'' Van Persie said. ''We had to beat them in their own style. It was a fantastic result in the end.''
However slender the advantage, Arsenal will now be hoping to avenge last season's quarterfinal loss at the Camp Nou on March 8. Last year, Messi's four goals secured a 4-1 victory in the second leg after Barcelona was held to a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
''We know how to beat them now,'' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. ''We were strong not only on the football side but the mental side. ... This can strengthen the belief in our (attacking) philosophy.''
The extent of Barcelona's dominance was evident in the fact that the Spanish champions completed 629 passes compared to 299 from Arsenal.
''We started playing well, we had a lot of chances but we didn't have many clear ones,'' Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. ''We have controlled the match, but we know they played well persistently and they are very fast when they counterattack.''
Barcelona arrived at the Emirates Stadium where no side from the continent has ever won having seen its domestic vulnerabilities exposed on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Sporting Gijon that ended a 16-game league winning streak.
''They don't lose many games. They are the best side in football's history in my opinion,'' said the 23-year-old Fabregas, the Arsenal captain who is constantly linked with a move back to club he left at 16.
Arsenal was initially looking to Theo Walcott's blistering pace to unpick Barcelona and he demonstrated that threat when he darted past Maxwell, but he failed to spot Nasri in an open position early on.
Walcott also started a move that saw Fabregas loft the ball for Van Persie, who tested Valdes from a tight angle. But it was only after Walcott came off that Arsenal finally equalized.
Before Nasri created the winner, it had been a quiet night for Arsenal's top scorer. On his first appearance since Jan. 30 after recovering from a hamstring injury, the France international was largely shackled by Daniel Alves' darting runs, and he was upstaged by Jack Wilshere's precise passing.
Arsenal was fortunate not to be trailing by more at halftime. Messi should have punished the home side when he was released by Villa's defense-splitting pass, but he casually too chipped over Szczesny and wide.
Messi's finishing may have been wayward but Barcelona was beginning to exert its authority in midfield, ripping through the spine of the home team.
''Against Barcelona you are exposed many times when they have possession but we kept resilient and strong,'' Wenger said. ''You have to be tight with the marking and if you don't it is difficult.''
After Villa's 19th goal of the season he came close to netting again following another blistering break.
Messi headed into the net from a rebound but it was ruled out for offside. The Argentina playmaker, who has scored 40 times this season, also lashed the ball into the side netting early in the second half.
Guardiola replaced Villa with more than 20 minutes remaining, signaling he was content with protecting the score. Instead, Arsenal began its comeback shortly after Arshavin replaced Alex Song and Nicklas Bendtner came on for Walcott.
''It's a pity,'' Guardiola said. ''We knew they're a very, very good team. On the counterattack they're dangerous.''
Barcelona could be forced to field a makeshift central defense next month, with Gerard Pique picking up a yellow card that earns him a suspension and captain Carles Puyol uncertain because of a knee injury.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Bittersweet Barcelona refuse to let it slip against Arsenal

The crestfallen Catalan club's players are determined to rely on their passing mastery to turn the tables

• 
• • Sid Lowe
  • The Guardian, Friday 18 February 2011 <li class="history">Article history
  
  Barcelona's Xavi, left, tries to keep the Arsenal livewire Jack Wilshere at bay. Photograph: Albert Gea/Reuters It was well into the small hours by the time Barcelona boarded their plane at Luton airport but the feeling of frustration still had not passed. For Pep Guardiola's side there was a sense of deja vu, and not just the weary familiarity of another late flight home. For a second successive season Barcelona departed London lamenting the ones that got away, having lost a control that appeared unshakable.
  "Just like last year," Dani Alves said, "we leave here with a bittersweet taste in our mouths. We had chances and played well only for the match to slip away from us. But it is not time to sound the alarms. We have to be optimistic that we can go through with the second leg at home."
  When David Villa opened the scoring in the first half, Barcelona appeared to be in command. Even Leo Messi's extraordinary miss looked like it might not matter. But Barcelona allowed the game to slip through their hands, with Nicklas Bendtner noting from the sideline where he warmed up that Arsenal's opponents appeared tired.
  By contrast, Arsenal grew into the game, with Jack Wilshere in particular increasingly influential. And when Robin van Persie struck a shot past Víctor Valdés, squeezing the ball between the goalkeeper and the near post, Barcelona's lead disappeared. Soon, they were trailing.
  Last season Barcelona took a 2-0 lead only for goals in the 69th and 85th minutes to give Arsenal an improbable draw. And although Arsenal's performance on Wednesday was far more impressive than 12 months ago, there was a certain similarity to events at the Emirates. Two goals in six minutes turned the game. Andrey Arshavin made it 2-1 after Van Persie had equalised in the 78th minute. "I didn't think he was going to shoot; he took me by surprise," Valdés admitted. "What we have to do is control the final 15 minutes of the game because last year the same thing happened."
  The striker Villa added: "We had the game under control both in terms of the play and the shots, and we should have been more than 1-0 up. But we didn't take our chances. Arsenal are a very good side and they caught us on two counterattacks and did us a lot of damage. They were very intense, we suffered on the break but we actually played very well."
  That was a theme to which Villa's team-mates were keen to return. For much of the game Barcelona were at their best and, despite the frustration, those were the minutes to which the players clung. On their terms, at least, they had a point. Whether their terms are flawed is another issue. According to the Spanish newspaper El País, Barcelona completed 773 passes to Arsenal's 423. Xavi attempted 124 passes, completing 116. Seven Barcelona players completed more passes than Arsenal's best passer, Cesc Fábregas.
  Alves was refusing to sound the alarm; Xavi described the result as an accident. All of those who left the stadium in bright yellow polo shirts talked of optimism as they approach the second leg. The former Barcelona youth Fábregas appeared to agree, too: he admitted that he was not even sure he would call the 2-1 win a "favourable result", despite it being the "best game I have experienced" and even though it came against what he described as "the best team in history".
  The Arsenal captain's midfield counterpart Xavi said: "There are still 90 minutes left. This is a sport and when you let a team off, when you waste your chances, you end up paying for it, all the more so in Europe. But I thought we had a fantastic attitude, we played very well and we were true to our personality.It wasn't to be but there is time to turn it round. Because of their goals, they will feel happier than us but I think we were much [the] better [team]. It was very similar to last year but we leave here with an even worse result. We had the chances to decide the tie.
  "During almost the whole game we have played as we know we can but we didn't get the result we wanted. This is the Champions League; we know what it is like. We missed endless chances. It doesn't normally happen to us that we fail to take advantage but this time it has. When you do that, you pay for it."
  Xavi dismissed suggestions that Barcelona had struggled physically, as Bendtner claimed. He also insisted that the Catalans remain well placed to go through. "There's no problem physically &#8211; I think we're in good shape," he said. "I'd like to think that we are still favourites with the second leg to come at home and in front of our fans.
  "This isn't a major slip-up, it's a footballing accident, that's all. I'm optimistic. If you're not optimistic, you might as well give up now."
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Pep ready for thrilling return leg



43 comments »

Updated Feb 17, 2011 3:01 PM ET
Pep Guardiola is predicting a "fantastic" encounter when Barcelona attempt to overturn their Champions League defeat to Arsenal next month.
Barca, chasing a third Champions League title in six seasons, slumped to a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of their last-16 tie at the Emirates Stadium after seeing a first-half goal from David Villa cancelled out by late strikes from Arsenal duo Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin.


That result has left everything to play for for both sides in the return meeting, and Guardiola believes that encounter will be one to remember.
"The second leg is going to be a fantastic match for everyone. When two teams want to play attractive football it is always nice and we will try and turn the tables at our place," he said.
"The result is the thing I don't like but we need to congratulate Arsenal, who are an excellent team.
"These guys (Barca) have shown their quality before. Arsenal know that we will try and we know before the second leg that they are a good team."
Barca will hope for a similar outcome to last season's quarter-final second leg between the two at the Nou Camp, when Lionel Messi scored all four goals in a 4-1 win that secured a 6-3 aggregate victory for the Catalan giants.
That win came after Barca had surrendered a 2-0 lead in the first leg in London to be held to a 2-2 draw, and defender Dani Alves admits he was left with similarly mixed feelings following yesterday's game.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ​

Tue., Feb. 15​

AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham | Recap
Valencia 1-1 Schalke | Recap

Wed., Feb. 16​

Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona | Recap
AS Roma 2-3 Shakhtar | Recap

Tue., Feb. 22​

Copenhagen vs. Chelsea
Lyon vs. Real Madrid

Wed., Feb. 23​

Marseille vs. Manchester United
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

"We are coming away with a bitter-sweet taste, the same as last year. The first half was very nice for the spectators, but for us it was annoying because we had our chances," said the Brazil international, who insists there is no need to panic despite the defeat.
"We need to be super-positive. The tie isn't over," he added in AS.
"We're fine, there's no need to ring the alarm bells. This is Europe and winning games is hard. There is still the return leg and we hope to be a little better."
Reflecting on last night's match, Alves's team-mates felt the defeat was undeserved.
Barca enjoyed a promising first half at the Emirates and could have led by more than Villa's 27th-minute strike at the interval, with Messi failing to make the most of a great chance early on.
Arsenal turned the tide after the break, though, and they drew level through Van Persie in the 78th minute before Arshavin side-footed in the Gunners' second goal five minutes later to give Arsene Wenger's men a narrow lead to take to Spain.
Barca midfielder Xavi felt his side deserved to get more out of the game, saying on his club's website: "It was an unfair defeat because we were better than Arsenal.
"There are 90 minutes left, at home, but it's a shame not to have got a different result.
"We played good football. They were very effective in front of goal and we weren't. In Europe you end up paying for that.
"We are always optimistic. We are going to be playing at the Nou Camp, with our fans. But the result is not what we wanted or one that reflected the game."
Goalkeeper Victor Valdes added: "We had the game under control, but they took advantage of their chances well. There's still the second leg and we have faith that things will turn out in our favour. It's possible in our stadium. We are confident that it will all work out for us."



PRINT RSS




Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "add a comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 5 PREV PREV NEXT NEXT


Post Comment

• Report Abuse manutdlegend18
  
  • 2/17/2011 9:42:10 PM
  Eyesright...
  
  Idk what game you were watching... most attacks came against Clichy side.. sure Eboue gave the ball away TONS of times but so did every other player in your team. Nasri didn't track back to help defend which left your Clichy exposed, which is why.. Alves was almost playing like a winger.. Messi came inside searching for the ball which allowed Alves to bomb forward.. and left a 2 v 1 against Clichy... better watch the game again mate.
  
• Report Abuse manutdlegend18
  
  • 2/17/2011 9:39:36 PM
  Eyesright...
  
  One of my best mates is a Arsenal Fan.. I've never been to impressed with either Clichy or Sagna.. I'd much rather take Evra and Richards as my full backs. Even if that was the case, in the first half how many times did Barca break through your 'back line'... the Fox Soccer Half Time Show --- with Barton, Myles and the other guy talked about how your center backs lacked in plugging gaps .. you all should have been down 3-0 at half, if it wasn't for some dismal finishing from Messi.
  
• Report Abuse manutdlegend18
  
  • 2/17/2011 9:35:26 PM
  Till I Die..
  
  No I just made my account this morning.. and although I agree with you about Ferdinand, I think having the summer off with out the World Cup will do him well.. I wouldn't get to ahead of your self their.. your playing at the Camp Nou, many Real Madrid fans predicted they would have the edge over Barca.. predicting like 2-0, 2-1, 1-0 games in Madrid's favor. Now im not saying you guys can't come away and knock Barca out.. I just don't believe you will. Not with your current squad. At home Barca, are a power house and have DESTORYED teams.
  
  I just can't wait for the next match.
  
• Report Abuse DvdItly
  
  • 2/17/2011 8:25:04 PM
  It's funny how the phantom offsides has been swept under the rug on these boards. Had the call gone against Arsenal and not Barca and the scoreline been 2-1 in favor of Barca i wonder what we'd be hearing.
  
• Report Abuse RedDevilz
  
  • 2/17/2011 6:04:27 PM
  Iniesta is a dangerous player if one is not careful. Behind that pale and puzzy apperance lies a very opportunistic player.
  
• Report Abuse EyesRight
  
  • 2/17/2011 5:03:57 PM
  Arsenal were good in front of goal? Barca were the better team and just didn't take their chances? Arsenal were shyte in front of goal the first half and wasted easily as many chances if not more. Shots - AFC-13, Barca-10. On goal, both teams had 6. Where is the dominance? The midfield Rondo? Get me the tank! Iniesta, it wasn't fair for you to dive in the World Cup. Life is not fair you mousy ****! Two great teams played yesterday and the better team won. Looking forward t another GREAT match at the Camp Nou! Beautiful football at its finest once again! Really hope Puyol gets healthy though...
  
• Report Abuse SwerveZ
  
  • 2/17/2011 5:02:03 PM
  If you ask me, other than Barca being at home, (which is big), aren't they losing Pique/Puljos? That's huge. Arsenal will get Diaby and Sagna back, which only make them stronger, so this should be a barn burner at the San Siro.
  
• Report Abuse EyesRight
  
  • 2/17/2011 4:56:11 PM
  Legend18, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you did not watch the Newcastle match and do not watch the majority of Arsenal's matches. Sagna, Djouscielny and Clichy form on of the best back lines in the world and have the stats to prove it. All 4 Toon goals came after 1. Diaby was sent off leaving us with 10 men and NO cdm and 2. Djourou went off injured leaving us with Squillaci! If you liked Arsenal's performance on D yesterday, you will LOVE Arsenal WITH Bacary Sagna! Most of the chances came from Eboue getting beat or losing the ball and many of our attacks broke down from Eboue making a bad pass. Sagna is the tonic to heal what ails the Arsenal defense. Not really sure how much better Verms makes us, but I would wager he will be an improvement.
  
• Report Abuse BirthFootballDeath
  
  • 2/17/2011 4:30:22 PM
  Credit to Arsenal, I think they deserved the win. Played well against a very difficult opponent.
  
  But I still don't think the goons will advance. It will pretty much be a beat down from Barca at the Nou. I say 5-2 on the aggregate
  
• Report Abuse RedWhiteAndOrange
  
  • 2/17/2011 4:14:41 PM
  Atlanta,
  
  You and I are of one mind. AFC is terrific on the road. We are going to go in and play our game. We are far more likely to score one goal than to keep a clean sheet.
  

LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 5 PREV PREV

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Villa: Barca deserved to win



26 comments »

Updated Feb 17, 2011 3:01 PM ET
David Villa believes Barcelona deserved to beat Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night and were simply caught on "two counter-attacks."
The Catalans dominated long periods of the Champions League last-16 tie, but Villa's opener was cancelled out by second-half strikes from Robin van Persie and Andrey Arshavin to leave things in the balance ahead of the return at the Nou Camp.


While he was quick to praise Arsenal, Villa felt Barca should have capitalised on their first-half superiority.
He said: "They (Arsenal) are a very good team. They've caught us on two counter-attacks and caused us a lot of damage. We were better but they hurt us on the counter.
"We didn't deserve this result. The scoreline, when we were 1-0 up, should have been bigger looking at the chances we had. But Arsenal are a great team and took advantage of their opportunity.
"(But) we have a team to get through. We will be ready for the day."
Goalkeeper Victor Valdes added: "We had the game under control, but they took advantage of their chances well.
"There's still the second leg and we have faith that things will turn out in our favour. It's possible in our stadium. We are confident that it will all work out for us."

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Sam puts Bayer in command





Updated Feb 17, 2011 4:07 PM ET
Sidney Sam's two late goals ensured Bayer Leverkusen will take a 4-0 lead to the second leg of their Europa League clash with Metalist Kharkiv.
Eren Derdiyok put them ahead at half-time in the last-32 clash and Gonzalo Castro made it 2-0, but Metalist Kharkiv remained in the game after an improved second-half showing.

EUROPA LEAGUE ​

EL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

But Sam had other ideas and left the Ukrainians with a mountain to climb next week.
Derdiyok's overhead kick was the first effort of note, Vladimir Disljenkovic confidently fielding the shot.
The goalkeeper was equally untroubled as Renato Augusto looped a header goalwards from Derdiyok's free-kick and Sam then shot wide before Derdiyok made it 1-0.
Hanno Balitsch was the provider, squaring the ball from the left for the Switzerland striker to slot home from close range after 22 minutes.
Manuel Friedrich headed Renato Augusto's corner over the bar before Metalist's first attempt at goal saw Jonathan Cristaldo fire wide from long range.
Taison smashed a free-kick into the wall but was much closer two minutes later, his left-footed effort from an angle hitting the upright and bouncing to safety.
Disljenkovic turned Renato Augusto's 25-yard shot around the post and Arturo Vidal was off target as half-time arrived with no further score.
Metalist's Cleiton Xavier warmed the palms of visiting goalkeeper Rene Adler early in the second half before Derdiyok again shot wide.
Sergey Valyaev did likewise at the other end and Gonzalo Castro tried his luck from 20 yards but found Disljenkovic safely behind the shot.
A superb effort from Derdiyok was parried away by Disljenkovic but Bayer were not to be denied as Gonzalo Castro's six-yard finish doubled their lead in the 72nd minute.
Derdiyok fired wide of the left post, Simon Rolfes was denied by the feet of Disljenkovic - without whom the scoreline could have been even more one-sided - and Stefan Kiessling shot wide.
Sam had the final say, though, as he tucked away left-footed after being set up by Rolfes in the last minute and then finishing from the edge of the box after latching onto Lars Bender's through-ball.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Europa League Roundup, Feb. 17

Updated Feb 17, 2011 5:54 PM ET
Three-time winner Liverpool was fortunate to leave Sparta Prague with a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 match, but fellow former champions Ajax, FC Porto and CSKA Moscow emerged with away wins on Thursday.
Kenny Dalglish's first European match in charge of the Reds was a dull affair which Sparta shaded, with Leonard Kweuke and Kamil Vacek coming close for the hosts in the second half.
Ajax, the winner of Europe's second-tier competition in 1992 when it was called the UEFA Cup, thrashed Anderlecht 3-0 with goals by Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen and Mounir El Hamdaoui.

EUROPA LEAGUE ​

EL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

Czech striker Tomas Necid scored the winner for 2005 champion CSKA Moscow in a 1-0 victory at PAOK Salonika, and 2003 winner FC Porto beat Sevilla 2-1 thanks to Fredy Guarin's late strike.
Villarreal held on for 0-0 at 10-man Napoli but Zenit St. Petersburg, the 2008 champion which was the only team to win all six of its group-stage matches, lost 2-1 at Young Boys.
The second-leg matches in the competition's first knockout round are spread out over next week.
Dalglish's first stint as Liverpool manager was from 1985 to 1991, when the English giant was banned from European competition following a deadly riot in the 1985 European Cup final against Juventus at Heysel Stadium.
The 59-year-old Scot was hired for a second stint at the Reds last month and has sparked an upturn in fortunes, but the team's performance in Prague was reminiscent of those under his predecessor, the beleaguered Roy Hodgson.
The competition winners in 1973, '76 and 2001 were second best against a side playing its first competitive fixture in two months, due to the Czech Republic's winter break. A draw makes Liverpool favorite to go through, however.
"I'm still undefeated in Europe," said Dalglish. "It wasn't a classic but 0-0 was a fair result and I'm happy with that."
Alderweireld scored the opener against the team from the country of his birth, heading home a corner in the 33rd minute, and then provided the assist for Denmark youngster Eriksen's goal in the 60th.
Marcin Wasilewski missed a penalty for Belgian leaders Anderlecht, which won the competition in 1983, before El Hamdaoui wrapped up victory by beating the offside trap and sweeping in a finish in the 69th.

FOXSOCCER.TV

​

The home of the best LIVE soccer and rugby awaits at FoxSoccer.tv -- don't miss a second of the action.

Porto, the unbeaten leader of the Portuguese league, breezed through its group by winning five and drawing one of its six matches, and took the lead in Seville through Rolando in the 58th.
Frederic Kanoute equalized for two-time winner Sevilla in the 65th but Colombia striker Guarin popped up with the winning goal with five minutes remaining, taking advantage of a defensive mix-up to roll the ball home.
Serie A topscorer Edinson Cavani had a goal disallowed for offside and was denied twice by Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez as Napoli, the only Italian team left in Europe's second-tier club competition, was held at San Paolo Stadium. Salvatore Aronica was sent off for Napoli in the last minute.
"We found out the level we need to play in the competition," Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said. "Considering who we were playing, this isn't a bad result."
Zenit, one of four Russian teams in the last 32, also had a player red-carded - Vladimir Bystrov in the 69th, when the score was 1-1 against Young Boys.
Emmanuel Mayuka took advantage of the Swiss side's numerical superiority by grabbing the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Spartak Moscow rallied from 2-0 down at halftime to beat Basel 3-2 away, with Jano Ananidze completing the turnaround two minutes into injury time.
French league leader Lille's 2-2 home draw with PSV Eindhoven was marred by pre-match violence in the city center, with French TV reporting that 30 away fans were arrested as a result of clashes with police.
Peguy Luyindula's last-minute strike salvaged Paris Saint-Germain, second in France's Ligue 1, a 2-2 draw at BATE Borisov.
Elsewhere, Benfica rallied to beat Stuttgart 2-1, former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko was one of Dynamo Kiev's scorers in its 4-1 thrashing of Besiktas, late strikes by Luuk de Jong and Peter Wisgerhof earned Dutch champion FC Twente a 2-0 win in subzero temperatures at Rubin Kazan and Artjoms Rudnevs netted the winner for Polish side Lech Poznan in a 1-0 home victory over Braga.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

UEFA charges Gattuso with gross unsporting conduct

http://msn.foxsports.com/rssfeeds

99 comments »

Updated Feb 17, 2011 1:30 PM ET
UEFA has charged AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso with "gross unsporting conduct" after he head-butted a Tottenham assistant coach following a Champions League match.
UEFA on Thursday specified the charge its disciplinary panel will consider at a hearing next Monday.


Gattuso could have faced an assault charge for butting Tottenham assistant Joe Jordan, a former Milan player, after the English club's 1-0 victory on Tuesday.
UEFA's disciplinary code calls for a ban of at least one European match for "unsporting conduct," but at least three for "assaulting players or others present at the match."
Gattuso is already ineligible for the March 9 return match in London after getting a yellow card for a foul.



PRINT RSS




Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "add a comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 10 PREV PREV NEXT NEXT


Post Comment

• Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
  
  • 2/17/2011 10:29:24 PM
  *sad
  
• Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
  
  • 2/17/2011 10:29:09 PM
  turridhu----the last thing the sport needs is for Serie A to decline. UEFA should have given them a Euro(08,12,16) for much needed stadium renovations. These are some storied clubs. Its said to look over to Holland and to see storied clubs like Ajax become feeder teams. The situation is very troublesome.
  
• Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
  
  • 2/17/2011 10:06:22 PM
  Turridhu---An Italian player did handball in the game and it wasn't called. Milan was home they got a bunch of calls that went there way. As Hammers and DVD said Gattuso is a player on the decline who sometimes feels he has to intimidate in order to compensate for this decline. He is not the first to do this and won't be the last.
  
• Report Abuse ynwa_in_la
  
  • 2/17/2011 9:00:57 PM
  "Technically" by the law you have to stay in the Technical Area. If he was, 4th official blew the call. Also says a player can't leave the pitch without permission and a bunch of other trivalities that occurred (which are specifically noted in the law book). The referee shall not call trivial fouls in an attempt to keep the game moving for the enjoyment of the players and spectators.
  
  Fouls not correctly judged? we'll it is not the first time. But a Kirkby Kiss that's a different story. And if the crew was really doing their job to the letter could have issued cards. They were still on the field far game for the ref. but if he had he wouldn't have gotten out the stadium.
  
  cheers guys
  
• Report Abuse LondonHammers
  
  • 2/17/2011 8:28:30 PM
  Yo dvd, how's it going?
  
  I'm slightly amazed at some of the comments about this I have to admit. Yes I watched it on English TV and they were less than impressed with Mr Gattuso. Since then I haven't read an English paper or seen anything about it on TV. I'm only going by the night in question and a BBC website interview where Gattuso apologized. Fair enough.
  
  Anyway, from what I remember I never recall Jordan leaving his technical area, I really don't know why he has any blame or should get any ban at all. I only saw Gattuso push him in the throat and then 45 minutes or so later headbut him at the end? And as for what was said to who, who are the Scottish lip readers? The Italian press or the English press because I haven't a clue what they said to each other. Racist remarks?
  
• Report Abuse DvdItly
  
  • 2/17/2011 8:02:49 PM
  London is right. Like Neville and many before him, he's frustrated. Should Jordan have been anywhere near Gattuso? Should he have said anything to Gattuso? No. Should he be punished as well? yes. But Gattuso is responsible for his actions and Jordan for his. My dad taught me that at 10.
  
  Having said all that as I said, Neville, Rooney, Zidane, cantona and many others have had similiar outbursts to one degree or another. Like Rooneys goal the other day, the english media and these boards have blown it all Waaaay out of proportion.
  
• Report Abuse LondonHammers
  
  • 2/17/2011 7:46:06 PM
  This is the way I see it turiddhu, without my AC milan or Spurs glasses on.
  
  Gattuso wasn't nervous, he was badly irritated. Probably because he isn't actually that good and he wasn't able to put lanky legs off his game.
  
  Headbutting anyone, whether you draw blood, knock out teeth or make no mark at all, is still violent conduct. Scottish name calling doesn't come into it. I know he threw a hissy fit when he got booked and cried and punched the floor, but he is supposed to be a man isn't he?
  
• Report Abuse LondonHammers
  
  • 2/17/2011 7:27:54 PM
  Gattuso being 'nervous' is possibly the worst excuse I have ever heard, ever. A player that has played forever at top teams and for Italy is 'nervous' playing Spurs?
  
  And presumable your saying that if he punched Jordan, or anyone else for that matter, his ban should be determined on how many teeth he knocks out? What one game a tooth? Do me a favour.
  
• Report Abuse turiddhu
  
  • 2/17/2011 7:11:19 PM
  spider wer'e talking soccer not baseball or basketball, what is the difference if its champions league or national team?
  why so much hate towards gattuso? he fights for his team ,shouldn't he? he had to contend with arms. elbows and hands on his face all game naturally he was nervous, the guy you want is flamini, not gattuso, i'll tell you something if it was me instead of gattuso and jordan called me the same names he called gattuso ,instead of my head i would have used my fist. jordan provoked all game long and then to top it off he made a racist remark against italians..again he should have targeted flamini, not gattuso. i don't think gattuso will get any ban.jordan should be banned.
  
• Report Abuse LondonHammers
  
  • 2/17/2011 6:28:21 PM
  It sure is Maldini, the actual first 7 million dollar man. It makes you wonder what that is worth in todays money? Is it more than say 35 million pounds (say 50 million dollars for arguments sake). I hope so because I know Andy Carrol can't jump over a friggin building.
  
  I'm not quite sure you got me completely there Hotspur. A Glasgow Kiss is a headbutt and I actually do really think Gattuso is a bit of a thug. Sorry my English sarcasm can be a bit unfathomable, I don't really know what I mean sometimes.
  

LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 10 PREV PREV

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Gattuso backed by Galliani


RivalsDM



PRINT RSS



Updated Feb 17, 2011 1:19 PM ET
Adriano Galliani claims the headbutting incident which saw AC Milan star Gennaro Gattuso charged by UEFA has been blown out of proportion.
Gattuso headbutted Tottenham coach Joe Jordan after the two sides' Champions League last-16 first leg on Tuesday.


UEFA have announced their control and disciplinary body will discuss the case against the 33-year-old Italian next Monday.
Gattuso first clashed with Jordan during Spurs' 1-0 win at the San Siro, then confronted the former Scotland international at full-time.
Former Rangers midfielder Gattuso was booked during the match and also clashed repeatedly with Tottenham striker Peter Crouch.
The headbutting incident led to widespread condemnation of the former Rangers midfielder and today's official charge from UEFA.
But AC Milan managing director Galliani believes there has been too much focus on the incident.
Galliani told the Italian press today: "What he did was an unpleasant episode that was not good, but he was heavily provoked.
"Of course you should not react like that but do not condemn everything.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ​

Tue., Feb. 15​

AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham | Recap
Valencia 1-1 Schalke | Recap

Wed., Feb. 16​

Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona | Recap
AS Roma 2-3 Shakhtar | Recap

Tue., Feb. 22​

Copenhagen vs. Chelsea
Lyon vs. Real Madrid

Wed., Feb. 23​

Marseille vs. Manchester United
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

"Gattuso has played 104 games in Europe and has been sent off once, in 2003 after a clash with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, who is now his team-mate.
"In 25 years, since (Silvio) Berlusconi became president of the company, Milan's conduct has been exemplary."
Galliani added: "We are not thinking of stripping the vice-captaincy from Gattuso."
Gattuso's caution in the San Siro match - awarded for a rash challenge on Steven Pienaar after which the Italian repeatedly hit the turf in anger - ensures he will be suspended for the return leg at White Hart Lane on March 9.
That ban is set to be extended when UEFA's control and disciplinary body meet on Monday to discuss the case. UEFA rules stipulate a minimum three-match ban for assault, although the governing body have the power to dole out lengthier suspensions in exceptional cases.
Galliani added: "We will produce our defence tomorrow and ask for Gattuso's behaviour over 104 games to be taken into account, then we'll see what to do after the ruling."
Gattuso's agent Claudio Pasqualin has stated that Jordan used provocative language towards the midfielder prior to their clash. Spurs have declined to comment on his claims.
Gattuso apologised for his actions, saying: "I lost control. There is no excuse for what I did. I take my responsibilities for that.
"I was nervous. I didn't want to argue with players and I did it with him, but I was wrong to do what I have done."

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Fans furious at ticket prices for Champions League final at Wembley

&#8226; Cost of seats for neutrals ranges from £176 to £326
&#8226; Uefa's prices condemned as 'absolutely outrageous'

• • 
    

• Owen Gibson
• The Guardian, Friday 18 February 2011 <li class="history">Article history
  
  Arsenal are looking to Wembley but can their fans afford to go? Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Uefa has been accused of exploiting supporters as it emerged that tickets for this season's Champions League final at Wembley on 28 May would be the most expensive ever with the cheapest on general sale costing £176 each, including a booking fee.
  Some 11,000 tickets will go on sale to the general public costing £300, £225 and £150 plus a £26 "administration fee". An allocation of 50,000 tickets which will be reserved for fans of the two finalists will include "category four" tickets at £80 each, according to Uefa but the Football Supporters Federation condemned the prices as too high.
  "These prices are absolutely outrageous and take ticket pricing to an absurdly stratospheric new level," said the FSF chairman Malcolm Clarke. "In a difficult economic climate, not only in this country but across Europe, where supporters may be coming from, this represents disgraceful exploitation of fans."
  The details of the ticket prices dampened the euphoria in England during a week in which both Tottenham and Arsenal scored significant victories in the Champions League over Milan and Barcelona, raising hopes that a Premier League club could reach this year's Wembley final.
  The cost of Champions League final tickets has rocketed since Manchester United played Barcelona in Rome 2009. The category three tickets have almost doubled since then, when they cost £80. The new ticket prices represent an increase of around 15% in each category on those for last year's final between Internazionale and Bayern Munich in Madrid.
  The Uefa director of competitions Giorgio Marchetti insisted the prices were based on the market rate and compared with those for the World Cup final. "The prices are based on the type of event and when you compare it to other events we don't think that the Champions League final is overpriced," he said. "We do not want to squeeze every single penny out of the market."
  The Champions League final took place on a Saturday last year for the first time after the Uefa president, Michel Platini, said he wanted to attract more children to the match. "That's also why we put some tickets from children at a discounted price," said Marchetti, though the 500 packages on offer for one adult and one child are only available in category two and will cost £338. "That's a 50% discount for the child," Marchetti added. The £26 administration fee per two-ticket booking was justified because there were "costs involved" he said.
  Marchetti added: "This is the market price. Do you think we would have trouble filling Wembley if the prices were higher? Do you think it would be different? We try to strike a balance between the interest of supporters and the interest of the event. Why should we prices the tickets lower than what we think is a fair level?"
  But the ticket prices compare unfavourably with the cheapest tickets for last year's World Cup final in South Africa which cost £106 and next year's Olympics where seats are available for the 100m final night at £100. A centre-court ticket for the men's final day at Wimbledon last year cost £104.
  Clarke added: "To ask fans to fork out between £150 and £300 for a single match ticket is outrageous and strikes as profiteering at the supporters' expense. That's before we even get started on the £26 administration fee which is the cherry on top of a pretty disgusting cake. Uefa should be ashamed of themselves and there is no way of justifying such a high fee. It is totally unacceptable whatever country the supporters are from but it will be particularly harsh on fans coming from abroad who have to add travel costs."
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Lampard: Europe our top priority


RivalsDM



PRINT RSS

EMAIL RSS ADD THIS

-->
4 comments »

Updated Feb 17, 2011 7:33 AM ET
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard admits UEFA Champions League glory is more important to the Blues than domestic success this season.
The Blues are the reigning Premier League champions, but are in grave danger of allowing that crown to slip from their grasp.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ​

Tue., Feb. 15​

AC Milan 0-1 Tottenham | Recap
Valencia 1-1 Schalke | Recap

Wed., Feb. 16​

Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona | Recap
AS Roma 2-3 Shakhtar | Recap

Tue., Feb. 22​

Copenhagen vs. Chelsea
Lyon vs. Real Madrid

Wed., Feb. 23​

Marseille vs. Manchester United
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich CL Scores | Tables | Fixtures

A goalless draw with local rivals Fulham on Monday has left them fifth in the standings, 12 points adrift of leaders Manchester United.
While league glory appears unlikely, Carlo Ancelotti's side have made impressive progress in Europe this term.
They sailed through the group stage and will fancy their chances against Danish outfit FC Copenhagen in the last 16.
With a path to continental success opening up in front of them, midfield talisman Lampard claims conquering Europe has become a bigger priority for the Blues than maintaining their standing at the top of the English game.
Asked if he would be prepared to sacrifice the Premier League title for a Champions League winners' medal, he said: "It's a horrible question, but I would say I would.
"I hate putting one above the other but having won three Premier League titles, the Champions League is the one to win."
Lampard also believes that prolonged progress through the Champions League will help Chelsea to get a faltering domestic campaign back on track.
He added: "It depends on the squad but I think if you're going well in the Champions League it can help your league form.
"If you're winning in Europe that form can be carried into the league."



PRINT RSS

EMAIL RSS ADD THIS

-->



Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "add a comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.
LOG IN TO ADD A COMMENT Page 1 of 1 PREV PREV NEXT NEXT


Post Comment

• Report Abuse REDRunsInmyBloodSince2010
  
  • 2/17/2011 10:57:23 AM
  focus on the cl this year lampy beacuse next year you might not be in it.
  
• Report Abuse REDRunsInmyBloodSince2010
  
  • 2/17/2011 10:57:23 AM
  focus on the cl this year lampy beacuse next year you might not be in it.
  
• Report Abuse Chelsea24-7
  
  • 2/17/2011 10:04:13 AM
  It all comes down to Ancelotti finding the right formation that includes Torres and Drogba.
  
• Report Abuse levskyblue
  
  • 2/17/2011 9:16:10 AM
  Well, Lamps, the dreams are fine, when they are fulfilled. Learn how to connect in the final third (current pass accuracy in the zone is 8 %!!!), kick the ball in the corners of this 7.32-meter goal (your current team efficiency is ~ 0.05 %!!!) and you might be fortunate to lift the trophy. Good luck!
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Jack Wilshere is the midfielder we have been waiting for

Arsenal scoured the world for a player like Jack Wilshere but it turns out he was in Hitchin all along

• Comments (430)

The performance of Jack Wilshere, right, for Arsenal against Barcelona would have graced either shirt. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Arsène Wenger has roamed the earth for footballers who can pass like Xavi or Andrés Iniesta. For a long time he may have thought English youngsters were good only for giving the ball away or getting into scrapes in nightclubs. Imagine his surprise, then, when he found what he was looking for in Hitchin, a Hertfordshire town from where Valerie Singleton went on to present Blue Peter &#8211; a show Jack Wilshere has not long grown out of.
In French academies and African villages Wenger has pursued players capable of executing his vision of what football should be: a game of pace, skill, fluidity, adventure. But all he had to do was motor north from the club's training ground at London Colney to a heartland of suburban Arsenal support. There he found the most gifted young English midfielder since Paul Scholes, who made his debut for Manchester United at the age Wilshere is now.
The difference is that Scholes padded on to the scene in a League Cup match at Port Vale while Wilshere, at 19, already appears indistinguishable from Barcelona's two best midfielders, who took silver and bronze behind Lionel Messi in Fifa's world footballer of the year award. In Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Pep Guardiola's team Wilshere could have worn the livery of either side, such was his range of passing, his courage in demanding the ball in tight spots, his confidence and sense of belonging.
The two compatriots who bear comparison from the last 25 years are Scholes and Paul Gascoigne, who crashed the picture with Newcastle shortly before his 18th birthday, against QPR, in April 1985. Scholes was a small bundle of dexterity and toughness who still lacked the physical dimensions to convince United's coaching staff he would fully make the grade. Gascoigne was more of a maverick: brilliant but troubled, blessed but wayward.
This is where Wilshere's story veers off into its own sparkly realm. A Premier League debutant at 16 years and 256 days, the Stevenage-born but Hitchin-raised Wilshere won his first England cap at 18 years and 222 days and has already played 48 times for Arsenal.
Gascoigne was granted the freedom to self-destruct. Scholes had to fight his way through a thicket of selectorial challenges. At various times in his early years Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Juan Sebastián Verón all stood in his way. Scholes is a majestic player who has had to accommodate or work around rival talent more than we appreciate. In the end his class and loyalty paid dividends. At first he was seldom in command of his own destiny, as Wilshere is now.
In the aftermath of Arsenal's thrilling counter-drive one witness pointed out that Barcelona may forget Cesc Fábregas next summer and come calling for Wilshere instead. Normally, hype fixes itself on a young striker who announces himself with a rash of goals, or a zesty teenage winger who smears full-backs on toast. This time, though, praise is being stacked up for a young English conductor in the hardest position of all: a fresh face with the full repertoire of short and long link-play, balls round the corner and probing passes delivered on the run, like Steven Gerrard at his best.
In all dimensions Wilshere exceeded the bounds of what ought to be possible for a player of his years against the world's best club side. Gascoigne's finest moments were in an England shirt. In his brief prime he locked antlers with many formidable opponents. There is no memory, though, of him having to struggle against a Messi, Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi in spaces so heavily compressed that the rest of us would have no time to shout "help!" between receiving and losing the ball.
Scholes mastered this art steadily, in the company of serial trophy-winning colleagues. Wilshere seems to have arrived there by some developmental miracle. No time seemed to elapse between reports of his promise and the delivery of those hopes against Barcelona, in a Champions League knockout tie, amid suffocating pressure.
There is good news on the England front too. In an interview before the game Wilshere surrendered an insight into how highly his international team-mates rate him. Fabio Capello is in danger of using him as a luxury David Batty but Wilshere says: "I spoke to Frank Lampard before the [Denmark] game and he said &#8211; 'don't just sit, we've seen you can go forward, so if you want to go forward just tell me and I'll sit' &#8211; which is similar to my role with Arsenal really, when I have that licence too."
Lampard, who has travelled up many dead ends with England, is evidently helping with the future, which has arrived early, in the shape of a young orchestrator who defies the English norm. The system can be beaten.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Jack Wilshere is the midfielder we have been waiting for

Arsenal scoured the world for a player like Jack Wilshere but it turns out he was in Hitchin all along

• Comments (430)

The performance of Jack Wilshere, right, for Arsenal against Barcelona would have graced either shirt. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Arsène Wenger has roamed the earth for footballers who can pass like Xavi or Andrés Iniesta. For a long time he may have thought English youngsters were good only for giving the ball away or getting into scrapes in nightclubs. Imagine his surprise, then, when he found what he was looking for in Hitchin, a Hertfordshire town from where Valerie Singleton went on to present Blue Peter – a show Jack Wilshere has not long grown out of.
In French academies and African villages Wenger has pursued players capable of executing his vision of what football should be: a game of pace, skill, fluidity, adventure. But all he had to do was motor north from the club's training ground at London Colney to a heartland of suburban Arsenal support. There he found the most gifted young English midfielder since Paul Scholes, who made his debut for Manchester United at the age Wilshere is now.
The difference is that Scholes padded on to the scene in a League Cup match at Port Vale while Wilshere, at 19, already appears indistinguishable from Barcelona's two best midfielders, who took silver and bronze behind Lionel Messi in Fifa's world footballer of the year award. In Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Pep Guardiola's team Wilshere could have worn the livery of either side, such was his range of passing, his courage in demanding the ball in tight spots, his confidence and sense of belonging.
The two compatriots who bear comparison from the last 25 years are Scholes and Paul Gascoigne, who crashed the picture with Newcastle shortly before his 18th birthday, against QPR, in April 1985. Scholes was a small bundle of dexterity and toughness who still lacked the physical dimensions to convince United's coaching staff he would fully make the grade. Gascoigne was more of a maverick: brilliant but troubled, blessed but wayward.
This is where Wilshere's story veers off into its own sparkly realm. A Premier League debutant at 16 years and 256 days, the Stevenage-born but Hitchin-raised Wilshere won his first England cap at 18 years and 222 days and has already played 48 times for Arsenal.
Gascoigne was granted the freedom to self-destruct. Scholes had to fight his way through a thicket of selectorial challenges. At various times in his early years Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Juan Sebastián Verón all stood in his way. Scholes is a majestic player who has had to accommodate or work around rival talent more than we appreciate. In the end his class and loyalty paid dividends. At first he was seldom in command of his own destiny, as Wilshere is now.
In the aftermath of Arsenal's thrilling counter-drive one witness pointed out that Barcelona may forget Cesc Fábregas next summer and come calling for Wilshere instead. Normally, hype fixes itself on a young striker who announces himself with a rash of goals, or a zesty teenage winger who smears full-backs on toast. This time, though, praise is being stacked up for a young English conductor in the hardest position of all: a fresh face with the full repertoire of short and long link-play, balls round the corner and probing passes delivered on the run, like Steven Gerrard at his best.
In all dimensions Wilshere exceeded the bounds of what ought to be possible for a player of his years against the world's best club side. Gascoigne's finest moments were in an England shirt. In his brief prime he locked antlers with many formidable opponents. There is no memory, though, of him having to struggle against a Messi, Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi in spaces so heavily compressed that the rest of us would have no time to shout "help!" between receiving and losing the ball.
Scholes mastered this art steadily, in the company of serial trophy-winning colleagues. Wilshere seems to have arrived there by some developmental miracle. No time seemed to elapse between reports of his promise and the delivery of those hopes against Barcelona, in a Champions League knockout tie, amid suffocating pressure.
There is good news on the England front too. In an interview before the game Wilshere surrendered an insight into how highly his international team-mates rate him. Fabio Capello is in danger of using him as a luxury David Batty but Wilshere says: "I spoke to Frank Lampard before the [Denmark] game and he said – 'don't just sit, we've seen you can go forward, so if you want to go forward just tell me and I'll sit' – which is similar to my role with Arsenal really, when I have that licence too."
Lampard, who has travelled up many dead ends with England, is evidently helping with the future, which has arrived early, in the shape of a young orchestrator who defies the English norm. The system can be beaten.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

I lost my head, admits Gattuso


Email this article to a friend

Friend's Email Address Your Email Message Submit Cancel


Rating
By (AFP)Posted Wednesday, February 16 2011 at 18:35

Milan

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso admitted he had lost his head after he butted Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Joe Jordan after the final whistle.

Gattuso had earlier pushed Jordan in the neck when the two squared up on the sidelines during the game, but after the final whistle he stormed up to the Scot, a former Milan player and renowned hardman, and head-butted him.

He was getting increasingly frustrated during the game which Spurs won 1-0.

"I lost my head and I'm taking responsibility because I did something I shouldn't have done," said the fiery midfielder, a former Rangers player. "Jordan was breaking my balls throughout the second half but that doesn't justify my reaction.

"I was annoyed about the words I'd exchanged with Jordan. We were both speaking Scottish given that I played in his country, in Glasgow, but I'm not going to say what was said.

"I made a mistake doing what I did to an older person, and that's it. I'll wait and see what [Uefa] decides."

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp made light of the incident, even joking that Gattuso wouldn't have had much success in a scrap between the pair.

Lost their heads

"They lost their heads at the end there &#8211; they were rattled for sure &#8211; and I guess that's a good sign," he said. "I know who I'd pick between Joe Jordan and Gennaro Gattuso anyway... Joe all night long. All night long."

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri admitted he expects Gattuso to be hit with a Uefa sanction. "At the end of the game it was an unpleasant episode, there was a bit of nervousness, I don't know why it happened," he said.

"I didn't like this episode, it's not nice to see, of course it will be looked at [by Uefa], there was certainly a reason that he behaved this way but you can't excuse it."

Match-winner Peter Crouch joked that Gattuso simply didn't like losing. Gattuso had also pushed Crouch and grabbed him roughly during the game as he fought a solo running battle with the lanky forward.

Meanwhile, Redknapp blasted former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini over a horror studs up, two-footed lunge that he said could have broken Vedran Corluka's leg.

The Croatian was forced off after the shocking challenge that somehow earned the Frenchman only a booking.

It means he will be available for the second leg in two weeks at White Hart lane where Spurs will be defending their 1-0 lead against Milan following a glorious European night for the English side at the San Siro.

Crouch scored the only goal of the game 10 minutes from time after Aaron Lennon scorched away on the counter-attack, leaving strewn Milan bodies in his wake.

Tackle was horrendous

While he was delighted with the result, Redknapp was outraged at the leniency shown to Flamini.

But he joked about the headbutt, saying: "I don't know why he got so silly, Gattuso had a flare-up with Joe and obviously he hadn't done his homework. He could have picked a fight with someone other than Joe.

1 | 2 Next Page »

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

SuperSport to beam 90 ties live

Share

Bookmark

Print

Email Email this article to a friend

Friend's Email Address Your Email Message Submit Cancel


Rating
By CHARLES NYENDE cnyende@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Wednesday, February 16 2011 at 18:35

Kenyan Premier League broadcasting rights holders SuperSport will screen close to 90 matches live on television this season.

Related Stories

• Chemelil vow to reverse a sour season
• You got mail: Rangers plot raid on title

SuperSport's head of Africa Service, Gary Rathbone, also announced yesterday plans for a second Outside Broadcast van to enhance coverage of local sports by the South Africa-based pay satellite TV service provider.

"There will be live television matches every weekend, some of them double headers," Rathbone said at a press conference to launch the new KPL season. "We will also have Wednesday night match coverage."

Speaking at the same function, KPL chief officer Jack Oguda said prize money for the league winner will remain at Sh1.5 million with an additions Sh1.5 million to participate in the Caf Champions League.

Help clubs raise money

The new season kicks off on Sunday with the inaugural SuperSport DStv Super Cup match between league champions Ulinzi Stars and FKL Cup champions Sofapaka at Nyayo National Stadium.

Rathbone presented dummy cheques for Sh750,000 and Sh500,000 to the two clubs, which will compete for the winner's and loser's prize, respectively.

Oguda said the tie had been created to help the two clubs raise money for their respective continental cup expenses.

He at the same time said live broadcast of KPL matches will be extended beyond Nairobi, Thika, Naivasha and Nakuru to also cover Mombasa, Mumias and Kakamega.

"Our immediate priority is stadia safety and security," Oguda added.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Tottenham coach Joe Jordan denies abusing Milan's Gennaro Gattuso

&#8226; Jordan describes accusations as 'pathetic' and 'untrue'
&#8226; Milan to defend Gattuso over gross unsporting conduct charge

• Stuart James
• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 February 2011 20.02 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Milan's midfielder Gennaro Gattuso grabs Joe Jordan's neck while the Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp offers his opinion. Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images Joe Jordan has hit back at Gennaro Gattuso, whose agent had accused him of calling the Milan player "a ****ing Italian bastard", describing the comment as "a figment of his imagination".
  The Tottenham Hotspur first-team coach told the Daily Mail: "To come up with something like that is pathetic. It is completely and utterly untrue and something so wildly inaccurate doesn't do him much credit. He clearly doesn't realise I consider playing for Milan the proudest time of my career, that my daughter lives and works in Italy and that I love the country and the people."
  Milan's managing director, Adriano Galliani, has revealed they will strongly defend Gattuso after Uefa charged the midfielder with gross unsporting conduct for butting Jordan at the end of Tuesday night's Champions League game.
  Uefa's control and disciplinary body will convene on Monday to discuss the case and may bring additional charges. Gattuso, who was captain in the absence of Massimo Ambrosini, is already suspended for the second leg of the last-16 match against Spurs at White Hart Lane on 9 March, but the former Rangers player faces the prospect of being given a much longer ban for his behaviour after Milan's 1-0 defeat at San Siro.
  Milan have no intention of stripping Gattuso of the vice-captaincy, however, and have confirmed they will submit evidence to Uefa in support of the player. Galliani, echoing the sentiments of Gattuso's agent, believes the 33-year-old was "heavily provoked" by Jordan and will ask Uefa to take into consideration the player's disciplinary record.
  "We are not thinking of stripping the vice-captaincy from Gattuso," said Galliani. "What he did was an unpleasant episode that was not good, but he was heavily provoked. Of course you should not react like that, but do not condemn everything. We will produce our defence and ask for Gattuso's behaviour over 104 games to be taken into account, then we'll see what to do after the ruling.
  Vedran Corluka was on the receiving end of a two-footed tackle from Mathieu Flamini but the Croat has at least received some good news. The right-back feared he would be out for two months but a scan revealed he had sprained an ankle and that there is no serious damage. He will remain in a protective boot for four days but will return to light training next week and has an outside chance of being fit for the second leg.
  Jonathan Woodgate, who made his first appearance in 15 months as a second-half substitute at San Siro, faces a similar length of time on the sidelines after straining an adductor muscle in his left leg. With Corluka and Woodgate out, and Alan Hutton out of favour,
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Kenny Dalglish celebrates European return as Liverpool draw comfort

• Comments (90)

• Andy Hunter at Generali Arena
• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 February 2011 22.09 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt, right, vies for the ball with Manuel Pamic of Sparta Prague in the Europa League tie. Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA Only another Istanbul could have made a 9,394-day wait for Kenny Dalglish's first European game as Liverpool manager worthwhile but this failed to meet even the lowest expectation. Satisfaction in a non-event at Sparta Prague lay only in the clean sheet the visitors evidently craved.
  The route to Dalglish's three European Cup triumphs as a Liverpool player was paved with many an away performance when protection was the priority and no apologies were made for stifling opponents. Here was another. Liverpool finished the night with four central defenders on the pitch and, with the Czech champions bemoaning their failure to penetrate, they hold the edge in the contest to face Lech Poznan or Braga in the last 16 next month.
  "It was difficult game for us," Dalglish admitted. "We'd rather have been more offensive than we were but circumstances dictated the way we played because of the players we had available. Nil-nil is not the worst result. It's not the best result we could have got but it's not the worst. Next week we anticipate it being a different game." Fingers crossed for that.
  This was painful fare for any spectator but spare a thought for those Liverpool supporters fleeced by Sparta for up to £145 for a ticket. Liverpool have registered an official complaint with Uefa over the extortionate pricing &#8211; they have not had the courtesy of a response &#8211; and the only value on the ticket came in sharing Dalglish's European bow.
  This was only the Scot's 13th match in charge of an English club in Europe, his Liverpool record blank until this game as a result of the ban that followed the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, and it will linger for that reason only.
  Dalglish said: "It was special, but every time you get into the dugout for this club is special, and it should be. This is a club with fantastic tradition, history and pride. To have the first opportunity to manage a club in Europe that I had managed and played with is fantastic and something I will look back at with fond memories."
  Liverpool were cautious from the start and any attempts to stretch the home defence were undermined by careless distribution. There was no place in history for Raheem Sterling, the 16-year-old schoolboy who would have become the youngest player to appear for Liverpool had he taken part, as Dalglish found room only for 17-year-old Conor Coady on the bench from the quartet he had brought from the youth team.
  Sparta had not played a competitive game since 15 December and, though unbeaten in nine fixtures before the winter break, had lost their leading goalscorer, Wilfried Bony, to Vitesse Arnhem during the recess. A defence marshalled by the 37-year-old former West Ham United man Tomas Repka should also have been a matter of concern for Sparta given they conceded more goals than any other team who qualified from the group stage. Liverpool, however, took 29 minutes to produce their first shot on target, a tame effort that bobbled wide from Fábio Aurélio and rarely tested their hosts' freshness or resilience.
  José Reina was the busier goalkeeper and almost presented Manuel Pamic with the breakthrough when he punched a deep cross from Ondrej Kusnir straight to the Croatian left-back, who sliced over. Pamic did force Reina into a low save from the angle but the best chance of the half fell to the former Reading midfielder Marek Matejovsky, whose goalbound drive following a run by Kusnir was kept out by the chest of Sotirios Kyrgiakos.
  Joe Cole was given a first appearance under Dalglish as a replacement for Aurélio, who strained an adductor muscle, and the decision then to drop Raul Meireles alongside Lucas Leiva in central midfield, while deploying Cole off David Ngog, improved the Liverpool performance without troubling Sparta greatly, although Johnson went close. "We have got to be patient with Joe," said Dalglish, who has been without the England international due to a knee problem. "Joe is a valuable asset to us but he won't pick his form up immediately and we don't expect that. If he does it would be a bonus."
  Sparta's Cameroon centre-forward, Leony Kweuke, forced a low save from Reina when he spun on a corner, and Matejovsky and Vacek went close from distance, but the contest continued its aimless drift out of the memory banks. The German referee called a halt to proceedings when a flare thrown from behind Reina's goal flooded the pitch with smoke. It would have been kinder to all concerned to let play continue behind the cloud.
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]